BQZip01

I was unaware that Randolph was still starting new classes. If that is the case, no, I'm sorry, but an F-15E back seat simply isn't in the cards for you. However, if you are simply heading there for your casual assignment, Pensacola might still be in the deck of cards for you. Can anyone confirm whether or not they are still having new classes at Randolph?

This GO is the lead chaplain for the Air Force, so it isn't some random GO. It is his responsibility to make sure that AF personnel's religious needs are being met. This memo falls squarely within his purview. Like I said before, memos like this come out all the time (perhaps the day-to-day crewdogs usually don't see them because they generally apply to commanders; I was an Exec and saw plenty of advisory letters like this from the chaplain, JAG, etc.). It isn't the job of the Chaplain to fix ignorance by the American populace, but it IS his job to make sure the religious needs of AF people are being met. Since some ignorance is evident, it is important to educate commanders and those responsible for subordinates to make sure that their religious preferences are accommodated as much as possible. I think the best example of this is a commander who's subordinate kills his wife and two children. It's an awful thing, but until the individual is convicted, the commander is still obligated to make sure his needs are being met, to include religion and legal needs. This is one of those things that, as long as it doesn't interfere with the mission, I see no reason not to allow such accommodations. There is a vast difference between someone expressing "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" (neither of which should be offensive to ANYONE...and if you are offended by it you need some thicker skin...) and being required to buy presents. The Air Force, as a whole, isn't in the business of "'promoting communication' about religion", but the chaplain corps IS explicitly responsible for such communications. If a memo like this didn't come out, they would be derelict in their duties: http://www.usafhc.af.mil/ To be clear, I am addressing the AF-wide memo, not the BS one from the 'Deid.

Yes, I have seen other groups singled out. The muslim faith is not always understood by the vast majority of Americans. Putting out an educational memo with suggestions is sufficient and helpful; it is still up to the commanders to do what needs to be done. I've seen similar e-mails about Hanukkah (sp?) and other more obscure faiths' holidays as well. It isn't a double standard and promotes communication instead of hiding your faith and then getting pissed when someone unknowingly steps on your beliefs.

This, basically, I have no problem with. In this case, we are actively working with another country and it would be plain rude to eat in front of them. Just eating in a separate nearby area (i.e. another building or in some manner where they could not smell the food should be fine...drinking water in the next room over should also be fine) is just respectful.

Just so everyone knows, Ramadan is about ten days long, not just one day. Heaven forbid you be outside actually working and a TCN catches you (that thought alone, "Teacher, teacher, teacher! He's eating FOOD!" should be reason enough to repeal that policy). IMNSHO, this is BS! Despite customs and courtesies to our fellow allies, we shouldn't do something like this that is unsafe for our personnel and that so fundamentally goes against everything we believe in: i.e. Freedom of religion. Everyone is allowed to practice their faith as they see fit, but those rights end when they infringe on another's right. NO ONE has the right not to be offended. This reminds me of the whole issue with burkas at/around Prince Sultan Air Base. We never should have allowed our personnel to wear anything other than their duty uniforms, not have separate rules for men and women. That would have stopped the BS then and there. Either we are Americans that are invited to their country with our own customs and courtesies (should we be bowing to their king? princes? etc?), we should be there by force (i.e. during a war), or we shouldn't be there. I'm not interested in protecting anything that is so fundamentally backwards.

You might also consider putting up a small video camera over the money. We found a person who was stealing money from the fund about once a week ($200/week!!!). It also encourages honesty. Another option is to put up an IOU sheet. That way it is easy to mark instead of saying "I'll pay it back."

Roll Call, usually less than half the squadron can attend anyway (flying, mission planning, additional duties, appointments, classes, other authorized excuses...) Conformity check: just limit it to your coins/RMOs then Hails at one squadron took all of 10 seconds per person: "So, why don't you tell us about yourself?" "Well, I'm Lt Smith and I'm from San An--" [Everyone] "SIT DOWN!" "SHUT UP!" "Take a seat new guy!" Tailor everything as needed. Make your own traditions/procedures, but make 'em fun and make it entertaining. Other ideas? Let's hear 'em!

This wouldn't be a problem if you had events in your bar. Have a mandatory safety meeting followed by "the first round is on the commander!". Ditto on a roll call (if you need samples on what to do, let me know). Have a commander's call AT the bar. The key is to keep doing these fun events on a Friday, keep them early in the afternoon, have a relaxed atmosphere, and make the reason for attending at that location mandatory. No one likes a safety briefing, but if it includes some jokes, a good "here's what Lt Snuffy screwed up this week" story, and a few drinks, it makes the medicine go down easier. Our roll call: starts with roll call (kind of intuitive...): a check of who is present (and who is missing); a time to introduce any new people or guests conformity check: Make sure everyone is wearing their Friday shirts, has their RMOs/Coins, & Friday nametags...anyone not meeting standards takes a shot Instant justice: call out anyone for anything with no rebuttal...but paybacks can be hell. One example was calling out the PT leader for not having his stretchable tape measure for the PT test... Those called out take a shot and toast the squadron. Laudable Acts: Call people out for doing something right...or ballsy (courage in the face of rank can easily be commendable...) History: A quick history lesson on something related to your airframe/squadron/type of aircraft/mission/etc Doctrine Lesson: A quick lesson on doctrine related to the history lesson Buffoonery: Story time! "So there I was--" [Everyone responds in unison: "WHERE WERE YOU!?!?"] followed by some tale of stupidity or just outright insanity. Lots of call signs are formed at this time. Those called out take a shot and toast the squadron. Boldface: Anyone have any IFEs? Ground emergencies? any noticeable trends developing? Anyone learn something new that might be useful for everyone else? These were omitted for family roll calls (we don't need family members getting worked up over "You had two FIRES this week!?!?".) Hail & Farewell: (sometimes added with the roll call) Announcements: Anything upcoming? Usually the Exec takes this one. Commander's Comments: A chance for the commander or SRO to make any comments, address any issues, etc. Our unit policy (which I liked) was that alcoholic shots were optional. Also no one could take more than 2 shots of alcohol. If there were no non-alcoholic drinks available, there would be no shots taken, period! This allowed fun without getting it into problem areas. After doing this once or twice (even the commander getting called out on numerous occasions), the efficiency of the flow seems to get moving and it doesn't take more than 30-45 minutes. Follow the commander's comments with "Dismissed!" at 1530 on a Friday will make anyone happy. Do something that invokes squadron pride: The 11th Bomb Squadron starts their roll calls at 1511. The 20th does it at 1520. The 96th does their at 1596...okay, even for military time that one's a bit strange... but the point is to work some unit pride into it. Make get-togethers fun (each of our sections mentioned above has a slide in a powerpoint show accompanied by a funny picture too) and non-exclusionary (EVERYONE needs to be there!) and get stuff done efficiently (don't waste their weekend!).

I'd look at a few placed online, but even Wal-Mart has them. If you are looking at it for a burial ceremony, I'd check with a local protocol office and they will assist.

Just got done with the Survival portion (still have RT to finish up before SV-80A is DUN) and here are my observations on supplies. These are all from a summer perspective, so filter this information accordingly: A camelback is an authorized optional item (All instructors allowed it in our session without question); IMHO, it should be mandatory. This allows you to carry enough water to keep you going a good portion of the day without refills. Not having to hike an additional half mile or so just to get water is worth a little extra weight. Second, if you tie your drinking tube to your survival vest, it is far easier to drink out of. Is this realistic in a survival situation? Not really, but that isn't the reason I was issued 2 canteens and a 3-pint pouch too. In reality, you'd have sealed pouches or other options. If they are going to simulate that, might as well make it more useful, IMNSHO. They have them on sale at Fairchild's little BX if you don't want to pack it or can't find it locally. Sunglasses: not so useful in the summer months. I found them more of a hindrance than an asset. Bring 'em if you want to, but make 'em a cheap set. Hat: get the boony hat (a.k.a. jungle hat). I served me quite well and will protect your neck in the sun, whereas the normal BDU hat won't. If you can't get one locally, they have them here in the little BX Flightsuit vs. BDUs: What are you going to parachute out in/what are you going to be wearing when your plane goes down? Just wear it. Wearing BDUs gives you options you do/don't have in your flightsuit and vice versa. Get used to how you would wear it and use it. The biggest problem I heard was about chaffing. I highly recommend wearing compression shorts underneath your flightsuit; this will prevent chaffing. Under Armour seem to work the best, but they are pricey at $25 a pop; knock-offs go for about $8 at Walmart (shop where you please). Goretex pants: didn't bring them to the field, but it was extremely dry (to include a fire ban). I saw no need for them. Given what others said, I brought them to be sure. I would advise to bring them to SERE and then see what you need for your training. Headlamp: I didn't ever use my headlamp and I just had some of those clip lights from Inova that you see in the BX for about 6 bucks. Figuring I might need a backup (what if I drop one? What if one doesn't work? What if...) I bought three. You don't move around much in the darkness, after all this is an AETC course..safety first, so the only time I used it outside of about an hour of night instruction was to take a leak at night. You can buy these at the little BX by the Survival Inn. Socks & boots: Dry socks are a MUST during the summer (as I would assume during the winter). Foot powder (like Gold Bond) helps as well. I changed my socks every day (on the "travel day" I changed 'em twice) and put powder on each time I put socks on and let the tootsies air out at night. Thorlos seemed to work fine, but make sure you wear a pair of shoes that are something you don't mind getting messed up, but are broken in; bring a second pair, if needed, for academics; again this is an AETC course and we are talking uniform regs that just won't quit... The last day, we got stuck with going over a 200 foot climb over a ridge or going through a swampy area. We chose the significantly lesser of two evils and got VERY muddy. My ruck was literally pouring out water by the end of that day; thank goodness for waterproof bags. Socks always seem to be short in supply, so get 'em before you leave home station. Shirts: Some of the folks complained about their cotton shirts. I wore a HEATGEAT underarmour compression shirt with a normal HEATGEAT shirt over it. Felt fine the whole time despite temperatures 95+. When we stopped, any small breeze made me feel quite cool. At night, I was even somewhat cold once we were done hiking. I HIGHLY recommend them, but you can't get them here and they are sometimes hard to find in military colors. Baby wipes: They allow these for hygiene purposes and I used them to wipe off my camouflage facepaint at the end of the day. Again, this is more of a hygiene thing than anything. Sure, you'd leave it on in the field, but then you wouldn't care too much about getting it on your bedding either. They'll also let you use them for going to the bathroom, but I never dropped a deuce while out there, so you'll have to ask someone else about those messy details. You can just get those here. Camo paint: the tubes go on REALLY well, but smear off easily. The little compacts seemed to work pretty well once you get the initial dry layer off of it. Don't use the stick they issue you; it doesn't work worth a crap. Interesting things I did: caught a rabbit before the sun went down the first day (our instructor said that no one he's been in charge of managed that in the time he's been here), climbed some freakishly steep hilly terrain while avoiding paths, evading people trying to find you while, at the same time, avoiding a helicopter looking for you and scaling a 300 foot rockface with a 30-lb pack and no ropes (bite me AETC safety regs!), nearly diving into a creek backfirst with a 60-lb pack...getting stuck and covering myself with ferns to avoid getting caught. HAVE FUN!

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If that's all it is, then, yes it is pointless and the war goes nowhere. But it wouldn't be that way as there would be things other than just those unmanned fighters (bombers, attack aircraft, cargo, etc.) These machines would be providing top cover for those other missions. Is it really any different flying in a permissive environment and pushing the same button 8-10 miles away from your enemy? What's the difference between that and cruise missiles? An AIM-120? When it boils down to it, I think a lot of Air Force folks are upset that the UAVs threaten their little piloting club. Why not build a phaser gun or flux capacitor while we're at it... :-) We fly right now mostly unopposed. By the same logic, there should be no apprehension about using force now, but there is. We don't want unnecessary deaths. Let's take that a step further, what happens when those who don't value life as much as we do create the same thing? Quantity can defeat quality.

What is the point of having values below the minimum? If you aren't going to pass anyway, why give them a value? I believe it is for the notion of having a "75 is passing" mentality...which will only drive more of a fit-to-pass mentality ("what is the minimum I need to pass?")

The human is ALWAYS part of the equation, but once we got away from killing with our bare hands, we put that capability further and further from us: knives spears arrows guns rockets missiles UAVs I too believe in the inherent nobility in those who are willing to risk their lives for their fellow man, but life is precious and if a robot can do it, then there is no need to risk the life just because it is noble to do so. This is a poor argument at best. There are lots of things that aren't worth dying for that are just: stopping a robber with mace, standing up for an innocent man in court, helping a small child up when he scrapes his knees. Furthermore, it isn't that those UAV pilots aren't willing to risk their lives, it is just not necessary. I beg to differ. Life is more precious than money. If there is no need to risk someone's life why should you do so? Do you have a problem with cruise missiles? With AMRAAMs? With M-16s? Many of our enemy cannot match those weapons, but that is be design. We have superior firepower because we try to do so. "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country." -Patton "There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time." -Patton "In war there is no substitute for victory." -MacArthur People said the same stuff about snipers, tanks, the airplane, landmines, etc. In time, such thoughts were quickly proven to be folly. Air power can influence our enemies and make them ineffective, but they cannot win a war without ground troops. In modern war, ground troops cannot win a war without air cover. It is a symbiotic relationship. By definition, we will always be risking lives, just fewer of them. Because nuking something causes a LOT of collateral damage including the deaths of lots of innocent people. UAVs are far more versatile and precise than a nuke.

There's already stuff in the works that allows them to maneuver autonomously (but not to fire without permission from mama). If you can sit on a fighter's six for 30 minutes and, at any time, flip a switch to shoot him down, how long do you think it will be until we get rid of the single most limiting factor in a fighter: the pilot. This doesn't go the same for attack aircraft or other airframes necessarily...

...more like 8.5-10 (depending on your crew position). I got here the beginning of November and finished mid-July.

I was re-reading this thread and I think there may have been both a 69th Bomb Squadron and a 69th Fighter Squadron. There might be nothing to relate the two...

As long as you completed the AF version, no.

For those still following the thread, the latest version of the SV-80A guide is dated 7 Jun 09, so don't rely entirely on the gouge linked above and verify it with the latest information.

My wife pointed our that this is actually my 6th move in 6.25 years (one was from off-base to on-base though).

Thanks for all the insight guys. I know some of it is "playing the game", so thanks for all the basic tips. Does anyone know where I can get a list of the required items (a.k.a. "the packing list") for SERE? Links on the previous pages don't seem to be working. Would it be a good idea or a bad idea to bring an extra set of Goretex pants that are DCU pattern? I figured someone might be able to use them. I realize you have to have an ABU/BDU hat for the survival portions, but does the rank have to be pinned on, sewn on, or no rank at all? Is it a problem if it is sewn on? Brown vs black T-shirts. Do they really care (it is authorized under AFI 36-2903). Do they care if it is Under Armour? Do they care if it is a compression shirt? Am I overanalyzing this? Has anyone tried wearing compression shorts during the survival portion? Good/Bad results?

You are the ONLY person I know of that is even close to me in average moves per year. WOW!

Similar experience 0700-0900 Showtime 1000 Call to see why truck isn't at my house. "He isn't there yet?" 1100 Truck has engine problems 60 miles away (but somehow all the trucks are from a lot 3 miles away...?) 1200 Crew says the engine is fixed and they should be there by 2 P.M. 1500 They show up...they had to get a new truck on the old trailer and the keys to the locks on the trailer were in the other truck... 1530 Eglin Fire Dept shows up to break the locks... 1600 they begin loading 2330 they finish with the house and I tell them about the storage unit. "WHAT!?!" "Guys, I've been mentioning this since we started today." "Der ain't no way we gonna move dat ta night." "Um...why not" "Cause I'll have to pay these guys more overtime." I get QA on the phone "They have to at least try to go for 10 hours from the time they arrived" Begrudgingly, they slowly follow me over to the storage unit. They load 2 boxes and say "Sorry, that's 10 hours!" and leave. I have to come in from work and let them in the next day. So...lesson learned: call QA...call often if they are messing stuff up. Take pictures before and after. Don't put up with BS. Oh, and FWIW, I have my 5th move in 6 years, 2 months starting Monday. I wish I was kidding...

All, let us know names once they are released (NOT BEFORE!!!)